A catch up ... long over due

I haven't been around for a few weeks, I'll try to read everyone's blogs but apologies if I miss your posts. I haven't been stitching much, I can't believe how much I did last January. My mum has been unwell for a while and was back in hospital as the new year began. Although she is home she hasn't bounced back this time which is a worry. 

This year my stitching will be bigger projects and quite a few for special occasions, this gives two blogging issues: not much to show and most a secret until given. 

Additionally we've been on a cruise, a much needed bit of sun and time to breathe. We had a lovely time but not much stitching. I've written about life on board in my Cruise Life post on my travel blog. 

Hopefully I will have some FFO posts and some GG posts in the next few months, I'm not sure about Smalls, my Temperature SAL is now officially a UFO and I've no chance of doing Topsy Turvy SAL this month. 

All I can do is what I can, my focus will be on the important stitching but I do hope I can keep up with everyone's news. I'll sign off with a photo from our cruise, our cabin steward was very creative!

Gifted Gorgeousness in January

The 15th of each month means it's Gifted Gorgeousness time, the time each month when we share our latest gifts. These can be gifts given or received, or any item made using fabric, threads, buttons, ribbon, chart, backing fabric that has been gifted.

This great idea is hosted each month by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching,  if you visit her blog you'll find the links to everyone's Gifted Gorgeousness posts. Thank you Jo for hosting another year of GG, it's great fun posting and reading. 

Oh yes I know you've seen these but they haven't been in a GG posts so here's my puddings, reindeer and angel ... all for Christmas 

Just into the new year two special lady's had birthdays. My future in-law (our daughter's fiance's mum) had a milestone birthday and a  very good friend from Needlecraft Haven also had a birthday on the same day. The Januaryndesign is by Faby Reilly, I have bought the full calendar as they are just lovely.

This was a gift to me, our lovely daughter gave me a John Lewis sewing box for Christmas.  The design is so me and it's perfect for my little sewing box, thread box and current project ... I absolutely love it.

I received two lovely ornaments for Christmas, a snowman from Deb and a Santa from Julie. Both ladies are members of Needlecraft Haven.

Gill, the January birthday lady very kindly gifted me some very special threads. Last year Gill's close friend Angi past away, both Gill and Angi are members of Needlecraft Haven and we've met up many times. Angi had many threads in her stash and Gill sent some to all the other NH members. Thank you Gill I will remember Angi with every stitch.

I received this embroidery kit from Christine, another NH member. I have been doing a bit of embroidery but time seems to be taken with my cross stitch. Hopefully there will be time later this year as it looks like it will be fun to do. 

Yesterday I received a lovely parcel from my friend in Canada. Considering our postal service has very sporadic lately I was surprised it only took a week to arrive.

My final GG is not a gift of thread, fabric or chart but of my time. A lady at church has been saying for years she must finish the angel for her daughter but was concerned about the beads. Every year I said I would show her but another year passed by. This year she brought the angel to the tree festival and I have completed the beading and a few stitches for her. I gave it to her yesterday and she was delighted. Her daughter came over especially and to my surprise we worked out it had been a UFO for nearly 20 years.

My first photos show the top and bottom halves, it was on a square wooden frame that rolled up and down. At Maureen's we cut it off the frame and I managed to get a photo of her 8n full.

Maureen is getting it framed so hopefully I'll have a photo to share then. 

Thanks Jo for hosting another GG, always fun to see how our craft is being shared. 

Fully Finished in January

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, is hosting Fully Finished Objects again in 2022. It's a super chance for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished. Thanks Rachel, your FFO prompt each month really helps me finish my projects instead of them still in my project folders.

I have a few FFO' from December to share although you may have seen them already. I find doing FFO, GG and Smalls blog posts I often post about things more than once ... feels like I am showing off hee hee. Anyway here's my catchups from December. 

Two special ornaments for two little cuties

I made puddings this year to send in my Christmas cards 

Over Christmas I quickly stitched a birthday gift for our future son-in-law's mum who had a special birthday in the New Year. It was tight time wise as with our post being so disrupted they took it when they went back to Wales on 27th. 

Julie's special birthday gift

One of my close friends also has a birthday the same day and this year I wanted to stitch something special. I was a little late in finishing it but amazingly Postie delivered it super quick. I bought the full calendar set from Faby Reilly in her recent sale; it was a joy to stitch and finish and I was super pleased with how it came together. 

Gill's birthday gift

My final FFO is my Orts Ornie. I used this month's JCS Stitchalong design but didn't stitch it as a globe. You can join this fun SAL with Jo on Facebook, every month is a different design from 2022 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament magazine, voted for by everyone.

I save my orts in a bon bon jar bought for me by my late mother-in-law and my first ornament of the new year is stuffed using them. It's a nice way to use up my orts, funny how some years the ornament is a little flatter or bigger. This year the orts filled it just right.

As I said you may have seen some of these before and you will see some again in GG and Smalls. Our hobby is about sharing as well as stitching, in blogging and giving. 

I have decided on this year's church tree, it will be The White Tree and you can find details on my previous blog post. It is hardanger but I will blog as I make one so even if it's new to you or a bit scary you might like to give it a go. 

2023 Church Tree

This year is very exciting for us as our daughter is getting married. Our nephew is also tying the knot and there are some significant birthdays for relatives and friends. 

As you can see my stitching time is already marked with some big projects and so this year I am not stitching huge quantites for the church tree. 

I am reusing an old set of ornaments and redoing The White Tree - here is a photo of it in 2019

It is a hardanger tree and I will be adding to it with hardanger hearts, although not many ... a white tree with added hearts seems perfect for our daughter's first married Christmas. 

I have many hardanger charts but found these lovely hearts online from Nima. As the tree is completely white I will not be using the red and green. I'll either stitch as is in white or do another motif still in white. 

If anyone fancies having a go at hardanger I'd love to receive a heart or ornament of any design in white. The edges of these hearts is buttonhole stitch which is usual for edging hardanger. The main lines are kloster blocks which build up the design and any cutting is between these. 

If you would like to stitch for the tree I don't mind doing the cutting, even round the edges. You can stitch a heart without any holes, they are very effective. If you need any hardanger help please let me know. These are a few of my ornaments close up.

It will be a very exciting year and I'm very excited to be displayed The White Tree again with added white hearts.

Topsy Turvy SAL Easter

This month we're stitching Easter, very surreal on New Year's Day but that's Topsy Turvy SAL.

And there is a huge list at Free Cross Stitch Pattern Central, the list is huge and I have not checked any copyrights so please make sure before you use any. 

https://www.freecrossstitchpatterncentral.com/categories/easter.php

I have no idea what I'll be stitching, I'm quite liking Durene Jones designs at the moment so I'm going to check her Facebook page. 

This is a card I made last Easter. 

The album will be open on 20th January, happy stitching.

December Smalls

 

Mary at Mary's Thread is the lovely host of the Smalls SAL. On the last Friday of the month we share our small stitching items that we have completed but not necessarily fully finished. As today is Saturday you can see I'm a day late in posting and as it's 31st December this is the final Smalks SAL of 2022.

Thank you Mary for hosting this great SAL, it's a super way to see everyone's little stitching. 

My two little stitchings are for two little people, our friend's young grandchildren. I stitched these on plastic canvas and backed them with felt, they are both designs by Durene Jones.

My other Small is not stitching as such. I made 13 felt puddings for friends near and far, they fitted nicely in a card and therefore did not increase the postage which is getting very expensive especially overseas. They were great fun to do, I have a robin design too which is a little more fiddly.

I'm not sure how many Smalls I will stitch in 2023 as I have some large projects to do. I am not stitching new items for the church tree, more details in the new year. 

I am quite surprised at how many items I did do in 2022, all the details are in my previous blog post My 2022 Crafting Year.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year - love and blessings in 2023. 

My 2022 Crafting Year

My 2022 year included a variety of crafts: stitching, card making, sewing and felt work. Here's the highlights.

I made thirteen Christmas Puddings for my Needlecraft Haven and other friends.

I also stitched five other Christmas gifts. 

Throughout the year I stitched eight gifts, two were very special: our son's degree and a special 90th birthday. I've hidden one gift as although I've made it it will not given until January.

I've taken part in five exchanges with the lovely members of Needlecraft Haven and have completed two of the seasonal challenges.

I joined Jo's JCS Stitchalong on Facebook and completed four months. I stitched six ornaments with Topsy Turvy SAL which is also on Facebook.

I stitched five items for myself, including a travelling chart with the Needlecraft Haven members.

I have been stitching a Temperature SAL making two cake bands; my summer one is complete covering April to September and I have nearly finished my winter band covering January to March and October to December.

This year my church tree was full of letters: The Alphabet Tree. I stitched and finished 32 ornaments. 

I am so very grateful and extremely touched by everyone's generosity. I received 36 letters which I finished to match mine, thank you.

I didn't realise how much stitching I have done - 

51 items made .... plus ...

52 flowers stitched on my Temperature SAL ... plus ...

68 letters finished for The Alphabet Tree 

2023 will soon be here, for us it's an exciting year as we have two weddings in the family, one being our lovely daughter's. Special stitching plus a few other special occasions and birthdays. That said I am not doing another Temperature SAL nor am I stitching for the church tree, however there will be a tree and I'll post the details soon. 

I wish you all a very happy New Year with plenty of flying needles and no frogs in 2023.